Ear positioner and trash remover for corn harvesters



R. C. FERGASON EAR POSITIONER AND TRASH REMOVER FOR CORN HARVESTERS March 17, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 9, 1945 March 17, 1953 R. c. FERGASON 2,631,420

EAR POSITIONER AND TRASH REMOVER FOR CORN HARVESTERS Original Filed July 9, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Hi? old- 2 by 5M MAMA/b March 17, 1953 R. C. FERGASON 2,631,420

EAR POSITIONER AND TRASH REMOVER FOR CORN HARVESTERS Original Filed July 9, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l 56+ I Q l r |r:l i i jt sj-f 47 L I 42 46 I I 6 Mom .3. gugowp/w R. C. FERGASON EAR POSITIONER AND TRASH REMOVER FOR CORN HARVESTERS March 17, 1953 Original Filed July 9, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I! 96 lll/I/lr/l/Itrill/fill!!!11/15/967! I Patented Mar. 17, 1953 EAR POSITIONER AND TRASH REMOVER FOR CORN HARVESTERS Rector C. Fergason, Gadsden, Ala., assignor to Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

Original application July 9, 1945, Serial No.

603,813. Divided and this application November 22, 1950, Serial No. 197,112

Claims.

This invention relates generally to traveling corn harvesters of the type embodying ear picking and/or husk removing rolls or the like, such as disclosed in applicants copending application Serial Number 603,813, filed July 9, 1945, now Patent No. 2,542,646, of which the present application is a division, and is more particularly concerned with the provision of means for eliminating or minimizing the necessity of stopping operations in order to permit the operator to remove plugging accumulations of trash and/or appropriately adjust the spacing of a stripper plate or the like in an eiiort to obtain troublefree and effective picking operation, for improving husking effectiveness.

In this invention, the crop and weed growth and. the moisture content of same often vary considerably throughout a single field and even throughout individual rows in a field due to differences in the nature, fertility and moisture content of the soil. And prior to this invention, there has been lack of suitable all-around facility for satisfactorily mechanically picking corn in such fields, more particularly green corn, without sometimes stopping the harvester to permit the operator to remove accumulations of trash plugging same and/or to adjust the spacing of the stripper plates to conform with the variations in crop and weed growth encountered in different portions of the field. In fact, variations in crop and weed growth sufiicient to adversely afiect picking operations are at times encountered with a frequency and suddenness rendering it impractical or impossible for the operator to stop forward movement of the harvester and appropriately adjust the spacing of the stripper plates. And as a result, either a large portion of the small ears are not picked due to a wide setting of the stripper plates or the passage between the snapping and husking rolls becomes choked or plugged with an excess of stalks and weeds which are sheared or broken off by a too close setting of such plates. Moreover, unless forward movement of the harvester could be stopped and the stripper plates adjusted before a dense growth of stalks and weeds is engaged by the snapping rolls, continued operation of the snapping rolls and of the rearwardly feeding gathering and conveying chain might result in a plugging of the machine.

In addition to the aforementioned disadvantages, prior art machines embodying longitudinally aligned snapping and husking rolls or roll sections are in general lacking a satisfactory means for positioning picked ears on the husking rolls with their tip or tassel ends pointing in their direction of travel over and along such rolls to therebyfacilitate removal of the husks from the ears. Another disadvantage of prior art machines is a lack of suitable facility for feeding trash, tending to accumulate in the passage between the picking and husking rolls or roll sec-1 tions, forwardly of the snapping rolls and out of said passage to thus minimize the chances of plugging under conditions producing an excess of trash, and for suitably rendering the machine self-operative to remove plugging accumulations of trash simply by stopping its forward travel.

Therefore, the primary object of this invention is to provide corn harvesters with car picking and/or husking appurtenances operative to improve, in general, the efiectiveness and reliability.

Another object of this invention is to provide corn harvesters embodying series arranged ear snapping and husking rolls or roll sections, with a feeding means operative to position picked ears in longitudinal alignment with respect to the husking rolls with their tasseled ends pointing in their direction of travel whereby the tasseled ends of the ears are first presented to the husking rolls.

Another object of this invention is to provide corn harvesters embodying series arranged ear snapping and husking rolls or roll sections and a conventional conveying means traveling longitudinally of the rolls, with an additional means operative in part to augment the feeding action of the conveying means and in part to position picked ears for movement by the conveying means with their tasseled ends pointing in their direction of travel whereby operation of the conveying means results in the tasseled ends of the ears being first presented to the husking rolls.

Another object of this invention is to provide corn harvesters with an improved, auxiliary feeding means positioned in adjacent overlying relation with respect to the rear ends of the snapping rolls and operative in part to augment the feeding action of the usual conveying means associated with such rolls and in part to feed any trash which may accumulate adjacent the rear ends of the snapping rolls upwardly and forwardly relative to such rolls and out of the throat of the passage formed in part by the rear ends of such rolls.

The construction, application and operation of apparatus for accomplishing one or more of the previously specified objects and advantages will become readily apparent as the disclosure progresses and particularly points out additional objects and advantages of special importance. And accordingly the present invention may be considered as consisting of the various details of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as is more fully set forth in the description and claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tractor mounted harvester embodying the invention with. parts broken away in the interest of clarifying the correlation of elements;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the left side of the unit shown in Fig. l with parts omitted or broken away in the interest of clarity;

Fig. 3 is a partial section taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the husking roll guard or shield appearing in Figs. 1, 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a partial section taken on line V--V of Fig. 2 omitting the rotary feeder and showing the mounting of the readily adjustable stripper plate and its coaction with the rolls, with the other stripper and with the gathering chain;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the stripper plate structure shown in Fig. 5 looking in the direction as indicated by arrow VI;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the stripper plate structure shown in Fig. 5 looking in the direction indicated by arrow VII;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the U-shaped channel element embodied in the stripper plate mounting;

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a partial side view similar to Fig. l with parts enlarged and broken away to better show the mounting means for the rotary feeder;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but including the rotary feeder and showing the manner in which the biased fingers thereon coact with the readily adjustable stripper plate and with the ears as they are snapped from stalks passing between the stripper plates and rolls;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged side view of the lower paddle shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a bottom view of the paddle shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is an end view of the paddle shown in Fig. 13; and

Fig. 15 is an enlarged partial section taken on line XV-XV of Fig. 11 showing the manner in which the paddles are mounted on the disk.

Referring to the drawings and more particu larly to Figs. 1 and 2, it is seen that for purposes of illustration the invention may be incorporated in or applied to a tractor mounted harvester including a conventional wheel supported tractor I provided with a front wheel shield 2 and with the usual control accessories including a foot pedal or the like 3 disposed adjacent the operator's station or seat '5 for selectively stopping forward movement of the tractor while continuin operation of. the engine 5 and of the power take-on shafts 6 and l driven thereby, and includes at least one harvester unit comprising a pair of ear picking and husking rolls 8 disposed in sideopposed, forwardly extending relation along one side of the tractor frame and laterally within the tread of the adjacent rear wheel 9.

Each roll 8 may include a forward ear picking or snapping section id followed by a first trash section ii, a husking section l2 and a second or last trash section l3. Rear end portions of the rolls are mounted in bearings carried by a bracket I l, and forward end portions of the rolls are mounted in bearings disposed between the ear snapping and first trash sections and carried by a bearing bracket lb. The rear end of the inner roll is flexibly connected with gearing enclosed in a transverse housing 53 and driven from engine power take-off shaft I, and the outer roll is driven from the inner roll through a geared connection 1? therewith.

In addition, the harvester unit may also include a pair of edge-opposed inner and outer stripper plate structures is and i9, respectively, overlying the snapping roll sections [8, a gathering and conveying chain 2i having an active course extending longitudinally alongside the inner roll and having conveyer parts or flights 22 thereon overlying the inner stripper plate and the trash and snappin sections of the inner roll, an inner gathering shield or wall 23 suitably supported to extend longitudinally along and upwardly from the inner side of the active course of the gathering chain, an outer gathering shield or wall 24 suitably supported to extend longitudinally along and upwardly from adjacent the outer side of the outer roll in opposed passage or trough forming relation with respect to the inner shield, and a transverse top wall 25 bridging upper opposed portions of the inner and outer walls 23 and 24 and having an intermediate portion 2? extending downward toward and rearwardly beyond the front bearing bracket 15 in throat forming rela tion thereto.

The gathering and conveying chain 2! is operatively mounted on a suitably supported front sprocket 28, on a rear driving sprocket 29 mounted on a vertical shaft projecting from and driven by the gearing within transverse housing It, and on a suitably mounted guiding sprocket @l. In general, the various elements and parts hereinbefore described are constructed and mounted for coaction and operation in substantially the same manner as shown and described in U. S. patent, 2,340,084, C. J. Scranton, granted January 25, 1944, to which reference may be had if additional information is desired.

Referring also to Figs. 3 and 4, it is seen that, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the active course of the gathering and conveying chain 2| travels over a plain bottom wall structure or support 32 having an elongated plate 33, approximately equal in length to the combined length of the trash removing and ear husking sections of a roll, adjustably secured to that portion of the underside of the wall which is adjacent to and extends along and above the inner side of the trash removing and ear husking sections of the inner roll. Plate 33 is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced parallel transverse slots 34 and is secured to Wall structure 32 by means of bolts 35 therein which extend clownward through the slots at in plate 33 and have nuts 3'! thereon engaging the underside of the plate or washers 35 interposed therebetween. As a result, plate 33 also extends alongside of and above the trash removing and ear husking sections of the inner roll in approximately aligned, end-opposed relation with respect to inner stripper plate 88 and from a point immediately adjacent the rear side of front bearing bracket E5 to a point substantially at the rear end of the second or last trash section It, and its position may be adjusted either toward or away from a vertical plane midway between the longitudinal axes of the inner and outer rolls. In this connection, the width of plate 33 and the length of the slots 34 therein are sufiicient for adjustably positioning the plate in overlying relation with respect to the trash removing and ear husking sections of the inner roll to a sufficient extent (see Figs. 2 and 3) to provide an effective ear supporting extension of inner stripper plate [8 and of the interposed portion of front bearing bracket l5, over and along which picked ears are conveyed by the flights 22 on chain 2! without contacting the trash removing and husking sections of the inner roll. When plate 33 is positioned as best shown in Fig. 3, a considerable quantity of the trash carried over and along the portions of the rolls rearward of front bearing bracket IE will be engaged by the coacting surfaces thereof and pulled downward through the space between plate 33 and the outer roll and will pass between the rolls and out of the machine. And consequently, it should now be obvious that the provision of adjustably mounted plate 33 constitutes means for selectively rendering the husking rolls or roll sections either effective to remove the husks from picked ears traveling thereover or effective as a nonhusking, trash removing conveyer part over and along which picked ears travel in passing from the snapping rolls to a wagon loading conveyer or other means receiving and removing picked ears from the harvesting unit.

' Referring now to Figs. 6-9, inclusive, in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, it will also be seen that in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the outer stripper plate structure l9 includes an elongated rear plate part 38 closing the gap between 9, front plate part 35 and the opposed side of front bearing bracket I5. Plate 38 is mounted between the underside of an outwardly extending flange H on outer wall 24 and opposed plate supporting parallel top wall portions 32 presented by a pair of longitudinally spaced brackets d3 carried by an underlying frame part 45. And a pair of bolts or the like 46 pass through aligned holes in flange 4i and plate supporting walls t2 and through a pair of parallel transverse slots 3'! in plate 38 thus permitting a limited movement of the plate relative to flange 3| and walls 42 and either toward or away from the opposed stripper plate l8.

Plate 38 is provided with an outer depending edge flange 48 having a pair of longitudinally spaced holes 45 therethrough aligned with in-;

ternally threaded holes provided in laterally projecting parts 5| on brackets 43. Plate 33 is also provided with a pair of outwardly projecting detachably mounted angle brackets 52 having outer vertical wall portions provided with aligned holes rotatably supporting a round rod 53 extending therethrough. Rod 53 is provided with depending strap parts 54 secured thereto for movement therewith in side-abutting engagement with the opposed vertical wall portions of brackets 52 thereby preventing an axial movement of the rod relative to plate 38. And one end of rod 53 has secured thereto an actuating arm 56 for effecting a turning movement of the rod in and relative to brackets 52. tions of strap parts 54 are provided with axially aligned pins 5'5 fixed thereto and journaled in aligned holes provided in opposed brackets 58 detachably secured to opposite end portions of a channel bar 59. parts El extend in rotatably supported relation through a pair of brackets 62 det-achably secured to frame part 65, through a pair of openings 53 in bar 59, through the openings :39 in the edge flange portion 68 of plate 38 and through The lower opposed surface por- A pair of plate adjusting handle and in threaded engagement with the laterally projecting parts 51 on brackets 43. Each handle part is provided with a pair of axially spaced opposed collar portions 6 3 engaging opposite sides of bar 59, and the openings 53 in bar 59 are preferably formed with adjacent end portions sufficiently enlarged for the insertion of collar portions 66 therethrough in order to facilitate assembly.

The outer end of arm 53 (see Figs. 1 and. 2) is p-ivotally connected with one end of a link 56 having its opposite end pivotally connected with an arm 67 on the adjacent end of an actuating rod or the like 58 suitably supported for rotation with its upper or remote end disposed within easy reach of an operator sitting on the drivers seat or station 4. The upper end of rod 58 is provided with a laterally projecting handle portion 39 operatively associated with an apertured quadrant or other suitable means I! for releasably retaining the rod 58 in a selected position.

With the parts for mounting and adjusting plate 38 constructed and combined as hereinbefore described, it should be obvious that bar 59 is carried by handle parts SI for axial movement therewith as such parts are turned, that the position of plate 38 can be adjusted relative to opposed stripper plate I 8 by turning handle parts 6| as the pivotal connection of link 66 with arms 56 and 6'! permits the crank lever comprising rod 53 and arms 54 and 53 to move bodily with bar 59 and relative to arm 61 fixed on actuating rod 68, and that when plate 33 is positioned as desired by turning handle parts 6|, it can be suddenly and quickly further adjusted to the extent permitted by the slots 41 therein simply by turning actuating rod 63 whereupon the lever comprising rod 53 and arms 54 and 56 then pivots about the common axis of its pins 51 journaled in bar carried brackets 58.

Referring again to Figs. 1 and 2 and also to Figs. 10-15, inclusive, it is seen that the illustrated embodiment of the invention also includes a generally concave, convex disk element 12 which is mounted for rotation immediately above the rear end of adjustable plate 33 and in partial- 1y underlying relation with respect to throat forming wall 2'! with its concave surface disposed in proximate opposed relation with respect to the inner surface of outer wall '24. And the inner or convex surface or face of the disk has diametrically opposed portions thereof provided with a pair of similar paddles or fingers 73 mounted for relative pivotal movement thereon and projecting therefrom in the general direction toward the inner gathering shield or wall 23 and to a point immediately adjacent a vertical longitudinal plane substantially flush with the inner edges of the flights 22 on chain 2| and in elevated relation to said flights. The convex face of disk 12 side confronts an imaginary vertical plane coincident with the axis of rotation of either roll 8. Disk l2 includes a detachable hub part 14 which extends through an opening in outer wall 2 and is journaled on a stationary shaft 15 having its outer end portion supported by a collar or like structure 11 which is in turn rigidly supported and braced by a frame mounted bracket 18 and a member mounted shaft 83 which also includes a second sprocket wheel or pulley 84 which is aligned with and driven from a pulley or sprocket wheel 86 on the adjacent end of tractor power shaft 6. And it should now be obvious that the operator can readily manipulate the conventional tractor and engine controls (as hereinbefore mentioned) to stop forward movement of the tractor while continuing operation of the harvester rolls 8 and rotary feeder 52.

Each paddle 73 (see Figs. 12, 13 and 14) is formed to present a plain triangular wall 3? having its base edge provided with a pair of spaced aligned pin receiving hinge projections 83 and a depending stop part 89 adapted to abut the inner surface of the disk, and having a side edge provided with a coextensive depending wall 9i merging at its base end with stop projection 89. And each paddle is detachably secured to the disk and normally retained in the relative position shown in Figs. 2, 10 and 11 by means of a pin 92 passing through hinge projections 88, through an interposed coiled biasing spring 93 having its opposite ends offset to engage the disk 12 and paddle wall Bi, and through a pair of supporting brackets 94 bolted to disk '52 with their pin receiving portions closely opposing the outer remote ends of hinge projections 88, In order to facilitate assembly, one end of pin 52 is preferably welded or otherwise permanently secured to its supporting bracket In this connection, pins 92 are secured to diametrically opposed portions of the disk in substantially parallel relation with respect to each other, and the paddles are preferably positioned on the pins to present edge wall 9! in leading relation In operation, each paddle when moving in proximity to stripper plate 38 coacts with the flights 22 on chain 2! in feeding ears and other loose material rearwardly through the lower portion of the throat 95 formed by overlying wall portion 21 and to engage and feed trash tending to accumulate in such throat above the flights on chain 2| upward and forward through the upper portion of the throat. Moreover, the

coaction between the paddles and the stripper plates and/or rolls is such that the inner portion of wall 9| will engage cars at a position approximately at the midportion of such ears as is indicated in Fig. 11 as they are snapped from standing stalks passing between the plates and/or rolls and push or topple the ear over onto the rolls with its tasseled end pointing longitudinally of the rolls in their direction of travel therealong. As shown in Fig. 1, it should be noted that paddles 13 even when in their lowest position during rotation are in elevated relation to flights 22 of the conveyor chain and the rotation of disk T2 is such that the lower portion thereof moves rearwardly. Furthermore,

it should be noted that in the event the paddles should fold toward the center of the disk with their wall portions 81 abutting same, the wall portions 9| will still coact with the chain 21 in feeding ears and trash into the machine through throat 9S and will also act to remove plugging accumulations from such throat, in substantially the same manner as previously described but with a somewhat lesser degree of effectiveness. In addition, it should also be noted that the generally concave, convex configuration of disk 12 permits mounting same adjacent a trough or passage forming side wall in a manner substantially preventing trash and the like from entering and accumulating in the space between the disk and the wall structure opposing same.

In picking corn with a harvester unit embodying the present invention, the picking operation can be substantially continuous and extremely effective even under adverse conditions resulting from variations in crop and weed growth throughout a field simply by manipulating hand lever 69 to quickly effect a conforming change in stripper plate spacing without stopping harvester travel and operation of the picking rolls or roll sections, as the operation of feeder 12 will in most cases prevent an accumulation of trash in throat Qt. However, if for any reason throat as should become filled with an accumulation of trash plugging same, such an accumulation of trash can be readily mechanically removed simply by stopping forward travel of the harvester while continuing operation of the rolls 8, chain 21 and feeder '12 as the coaction of these parts will in most cases quickly clear the throat of trash without manual aid from the operator, In this connection, the mechanical removal of such trash will in some cases be materially aided by actuating handle 69 to eifect a maximum spacing of the stripper plates in the event the plates are not so positioned when the plugging occurs.

And while certain features of the invention are more particularly applicable to harvesters of the type embodying cooperative rolls presenting axially aligned ear snapping and husking sections, other features are of general application. And it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact details of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts herein shown and described for purposes of illustration as various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1, In a traveling corn harvester embodying a pair of power operated rolls extending in the direction of travel and having forward ear snapping and rearward husking sections mounted in side-opposed coacting relation, a gathering and conveying chain having an active course traveling alongside one of said rolls and having flights thereon effective to draw standing stalks between said snapping sections and to engage and convey picked ears rearwardly along said husking sections, a first wall structure extending upwardly from adjacent said chain, a second wall structure extending upwardly from adjacent the other one of said rolls in opposed passage-forming relation with respect to said first wall structure, a disk mounted for rctation on an axis extending transversely of and above the rear end portion of the snapping section of said other roll and positioned in contiguous side-opposed relation with respect to said second wall structure, paddles mounted on the passage-opposing surface of said disk so as to extend inward of said passage and over said other roll in elevated relation to said flights, a third wall structure bridging said first and second wall structures in overlying throat forming relation with respect to the rear end portions of said snapping sections and in partially overlying relation with respect to said disk, and means for rotating said disk in a direction so as to move the lower portions thereof rearwardly and thereby render said paddles efiective to engage ears as they are snapped from standing stalks passing between said first and second wall structures and push the ears over onto the husking sections of said rolls with their tasseled ends pointing rearwardly and to cause said paddles to engage and feed trash tending to accumulate in said throat above said chain upward and forward through the upper portion of said throat.

2. In a corn harvester embodying a pair of power operated rolls extending in the direction of travel and having forward ear snapping and rearward husking sections mounted in side-opposed coacting relation between and adjacent lower edge portions of passage forming side wall structures extending lengthwise of the rolls, a gathering and conveying chain having an active course traveling alongside one of said rolls and having flights thereon effective to draw standing stalks between said snapping sections and to engage and convey picked ears rearwardly along said husking sections, a disk mounted for rotation on an axis extending transversely of and above the rear end portion of the snapping section of the other roll and positioned in contiguous side-opposed relation with respect to the adjacent side wall structure, paddles mounted on the passage-opposing surface of said disk so as to extend inward of said passage and over said other roll in elevated relation to said flights, a throat forming wall structure bridging said side wall structures in partially overlying relation with respect to said disk, and means for rotating said disk in a direction so as to move the lower portions thereof rearwardly and thereby render said paddles effective to coact with said chain in feeding ears and other loose material rearwardly through said throat and along said rolls and to engage and feed trash tending to accumulate in said throat above said chain upward and forward through the upper portion of said throat.

3. In a corn harvester embodying a pair of power operated rolls extending in the direction of travel and having forward ear snapping and rearward husking sections mounted in side-opposed coacting relation between the adjacent lower edge portions of passage forming side wall structures extending lengthwise of the rolls, a gathering and conveying means extending alongside and overlying one of said rolls, said gathering and conveying means including flights effective to draw standing stalks between said snapping sections and to engage and convey picked ears rearwardly along said husking sections, a disk mounted for rotation on an axis extending transversely of and above the rear end portion of the snapping section of the other roll-and positioned in contiguous side-opposed relation with respect to the adjacent side wall structure, paddles mounted on the passage-opposing surface of said disk so as to extend therefrom inwardly of said passage and over said other roll in elevated relation to said conveying means, and means for rotating said disk in a direction so as to move the lower portions thereof rearwardly and thereby render said paddles effective to coact with said gathering and conveying means in feeding ears and other loose material rearwardly along said rolls and to en- 7 I gage and feed trash tending to accumulate above said gathering and conveying means upward andforward relative to said gathering and conveying means.

4. In a corn harvester embodying a pair of power operated rolls extending in the direction of travel and having forward ear snappingand rearward husking sections mounted in side-opposed stepped coacting relation between and adjacent lower edge portions of passage forming side wall structures extending lengthwise of the rolls, a gathering and conveying means extending alongside and overlying the lower one of said rolls, said gathering and conveying means including flights effective to draw standing stalks between said snapping sections and to engage and convey picked ears rearwardly along said husking sections, a disk mounted for rotation on an axis extending transversely of and above the rear end portion of the snapping section of the higher roll and positioned in contiguous side-opposed relation with respect to the adjacent side wall structure, paddles mounted on the passage-opposing surface of said disk so as to extend inward of said passage and over and above said higher roll in elevated relation to said flights to engage ears as they are snapped from standing stalks passing between the snapping sections of said rolls, and means for rotating said disk in a direction so as to move the lower portions thereof rearwardly and thereby rendering said paddles effective to engage and push snapped ears over onto the husking sections of said rolls with the tasseled ends of the ears pointing in their direction of travel therealong.

5. In a corn harvester embodying a pair of power operated rolls extending in the direction of travel and having forward ear snapping and rearward husking sections mounted in sideopposed coacting relation, a gathering and conveying means extending alongside and overlying one of said rolls, said gathering and conveying means including flights effective to draw standing stalks between said snapping sections and to engage and convey picked ears rearwardly along said husking sections, a disk mounted above the rear outer side portion of the snapping section of the other roll for rotation about an axis disposed substantially at right angles with respect to the direction of travel of said harvester, paddles mounted on the side surface of said disk opposing said one roll and projecting therefrom over said other roll in elevated relation to said flights and into the path of ears snapped from standing stalks passing between the snapping sections of said rolls, and means for rotating said disk in a direction so as to move the lower portions thereof rearwardly thereby rendering said paddles effective to engage and push snapped ears over onto the husking sections of said rolls with the tasseled ends of the ears pointing in their direction of travel therealong.

6. In a travelin corn harvester embodying a pair of power-operated rolls extending in the direction of travel and having forward ear snapping and rearward husking sections mounted in side-opposed coacting relation between and adjacent lower edge portions of passage forming side wall structures extending lengthwise of said rolls, a gathering and conveying means extending alongside one of said rolls in superposed relation thereto, said gathering and conveying means including flights efiective to draw standing stalks between'said snapping sections and to engage and convey snapped ears rearwardly along said husking sections, a disk mounted for rotation on an axis extending transversely of and above the rear end portion of the snapping section of the other roll and in contiguous side-opposed relation with respect to the adjacent side Wall structure, paddles mounted on the passage-opposing surface of said disk and projecting therefrom inwardly of said passage in elevated relation to said flights and into the path of ears snapped from standing stalks passing between the snapping sections of said rolls, and means for rotating said disk in a direction so as to move the lower portion thereof rearwardly thereby rendering said paddles effective to engage and push snapped ears over onto the husking sections of said rolls with the tasseled ends of the ears pointing in their direction of travel therealong.

7. In a traveling corn harvester embodying a pair of power-operated rolls extending in the direction of travel and having forward ear snapping and rearward husking sections mounted in side-opposed coacting relation, a gathering and conveying means extending alongside one of said rolls in superposed relation thereto, said gathering and conveying means including flights effective to draw standing stalks between said snapping sections and to engage and convey snapped ears rearwardly along said husking sections, a disk mounted above the rear portion of the snapping section of the other roll for rotation about an axis disposed substantially at right angles to the direction of travel of said harvester, paddles mounted on the side of said disk facing said one roll and projecting therefrom in ele vated relation to said conveying means into the path of ears snapped from standing stalks passing between the snapping sections of said rolls, and power driven means for rotating said disk in a direction so as to move the lower portion 'the reof'rearwardly thereby rendering said paddles 'eifective to engage and push snapped ears over onto the husking sections of said rolis with the tasseled ends of the ears pointing in the direction of their travel therealong.

8. In a traveling corn harvester embodying a, pair of power-operated rolls extending in the direction of travel and having forward ear snapping and rearward husking sections mounted in side-opposed coacting relation, a gathering and conveying means extending alongside one of said rolls in superposed relation thereto, said gathering and conveying means including flights effective to draw standing stalks between said snapping sections and to engage and convey snapped ears rearwardly along said husking sections, a disk mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis extending transversely of and above the rear portion of the snapping section of the other roll, pivot means mounted on said disk in radially spaced relation to the axis of rotation of the latter, paddles supported on said pivot means for swinging movement radially of said disk from one limiting position to another limiting position, said paddles each presenting coextensive walls integrally joined in angle forming relation so that when apaddle is in said one limiting position both walls thereof project from said disk in edge-opposed relation thereto,

and so that when a paddle is in said other limiting position one of said walls side-abuts said disk and the other of said walls extends away from said one wall in edge-opposed relation to said disk, spring elements operatively interposed between said disk and said paddles, respectively, and normally operative to bias said paddles toward said one limiting position, and means for rotating said disk in a direction so as to move the lower portion thereof rearwardly thereby rendering said other walls of said paddles effective to engage ears snapped from standing stalks passing between the snapping sections of said rolls and push the snapped ears over onto the husking sections of said rolls with the tasseled ends of the ears pointing rearwardly in their direction of travel along said rolls.

9. In a traveling corn harvester embodying a pair of power-operated rolls extending in the direction of travel and having forward ear snapping and rearward husking sections mounted in side-opposed coacting relation, a disk mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis extending transversely of and above the rear portion of the snapping section of one of the rolls, paddles pivotally mounted on said disk for swinging movement, transversely of the latter, from one limiting position to another limiting position, said paddles each presenting coextensive walls integrally joined in angle forming relation so that when a paddle is in said one limiting position both walls thereof project from said disk in edge-opposed relation thereto and so that when a paddle is in said other limiting position one of said walls side-abuts said disk and the other of said walls extends in edge-opposed relation to said disk, resilient means eifective to normally main-tain said paddles yieldingly in said one lirniting position, and means for rotating said disk with the lower portion thereof moving rearwardly, thereby rendering said other Walls of the paddles effective to engage midportions of ears snapped from standing stalks passing between the snapping sections of said rolls and to push the snapped ears over onto the husking sections of said rolls with the tasseled ends of the ears pointing in their direction of travel along said rolls.

10. In a traveling corn harvester embodying a pair of power-operated rolls extending in the, direction of travel and having forward ear snapping and rearward husking sections mounted in side-opposed coacting relation, a disk mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis extending transversely of and above the rear portion of the snapping section of one of the rolls, paddles pivotally mounted on said disk for swinging movement, transversely of the latter, from one limiting position wherein a wall portion of the paddle projects from said disk in edge-opposed relation to one face of the latter to another limiting position wherein'said Wall portion of the paddle side-abuts said face of the disk, resilient means effective to normally maintain said paddles yieldingly in said one limiting position, and means for rotating said disk with the lower portion thereof moving rearwardly, thereby rendering said paddles effective to engage midportions of ears snapped from standing stalks passing between the snapping sections of said rolls and to push the snapped ears over onto the husking sections of said rolls with the tasseled ends of the ears pointing in their direction 'of travel along said rolls.

RECTO'R C. FERGASON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Scranton Jan. 25, 1944 

